Hybrid View

2013 Japan Open

Well I am surprised no one has started a thread on this. It was interesting to see the olympic program or mostly likely Oly programs. Javier takes the early lead and some would deduce he is the early favourite even over Hanyu and Chan. Dai was a disappointment and I am not sure about his music but again folks this is early on - you don't want to peak (ie. V and T - they need to techincally improve even change the throw salchow to a lutz or flip. I think we will see Javier skate with even more conviction later on. Too bad Buttle didn't have his best skate here. the ladies is wear Mao seems to have asserted herself - let's see if she can carry the momentum. Good to see the axel attempt though too footed. She has thef low but I wonder if she has the consistency and confidence to go to the top and whether she can seize the moment especially if Yun is not at the top of her game for any reason injury, lack of training or a bad day. Still in an isu event the score (and the scores seemed fair imho) looks and bodes well for her.

We get a glimpse of Wagner and she seems to be holding up well wearing the national mantle well. I am not sure the program is her but it is new and early on. I noticed her jumps didn't seem to have the amplitude, flow or bigness but this might be due to it being a new program and early on in the oly season. Wow, poor Irina. She just couldn't jump - though I kind of wonder why Carolina and Alissa have never been pummelled so badly before. Irina skated so badly she would have lost to a well executed Yuna or Mao short program. Big surprise was Joannie. She seems to have lost her lutz but what she did do - six triples and with her maturity and flow she still would be a threat in Canada for the national team and well if some skated poor could sneak in for an OBM. I think though it is too late for her to change her mind according to the rules but she has a lovely quallity and this program though new was well done and she clearly beat Ashley which really surprised me.